Healthy Eating Habits

1.  Eat breakfast. 
It’s 10 am and you wonder why you are zonking in your morning meeting, yet you flew out the door with a mug of coffee.  All with no food to keep you going.  Food = fuel.  Your car won’t move without gas and your body won’t move very far without fuel.

2.  Eat smaller meals throughout the day.
You’ve heard this one many times right?  Large meals mean more blood flow shunted toward your stomach for digestion and away from your brain.  Less blood flow to your brain = less oxygen to your brain and soon you’ll find yourself drooling with an indentation of your keyboard on your left cheek.  Eat smaller meals more often to keep a constant rate of fuel coming into your body.

3. Steer clear of sugary foods. 
Candy won’t get you very far.  You’ll get a spike of energy then crash.  So seriously, cut the sugary stuff out or at least minimize it.

4. Eat protein at every meal. 
Sure, you’ve heard the old story about turkey and tryptophan and how it can make a person sleepy.  But, in reality, you need a little protein at every meal to keep your blood sugar steady and energy levels even.  I can tell a major difference when I consume protein at every meal.  My current favorite source is nonfat Greek yogurt.  It tastes rich and creamy and has more protein then regular yogurt.

5. Eat the bulk of your calories before you get home for dinner. 
You need energy to function right?  And most of your work comes during the day correct?  So don’t graze like a bird throughout the day then sit down to a nice sized dinner followed by snack after snack after snack while watching Dancing with the Stars.  Instead, make sure you are following #2 above and eating enough food throughout the day to keep you going.  And no, a 230 calorie Lean Cuisine for lunch isn’t enough food in one sitting.

6.  Take your nutritional supplements at the same time each day.
This helps you to remember to take them every day and stay consistent.  If you make it a part of your morning routine, it is less likely you will forget.  Calcium supplements can be split up and taken in the morning and again at night, for better absorption.